- Let me see,
as Langston Hughes would say,
"Life for me ain't been no crystal stairs."
Came here to some housing projects
called "Dog Town",
I ran home from school every single day
because if I didn't,
it was a fight or a beat up.
There's very few stories they can tell me
that I can't relate to.
They called it "Death Alley"
because more people have been killed in this area,
than anywhere in Los Angeles counties.
And the violence,
the drugs,
the poor education,
the unemployment,
I could go down the line.
Everyone knows
what's happening in this area.
And believe it or not,
they give a lot of money to this area,
but it never gets to the people that need it.
Yeah, I went back to the projects
where I grew up,
and started teaching video and photography,
and all of these areas,
letting the young people know that,
"Hey, you don't have to
just live like this,
and you can have some goals,
and some some ideas about a future."
- We want you to know that learning
is more than just what you see
outside of your door,
on this block,
or just in your surroundings.
Like there's a whole world for you to conquer,
and that is what you can do.
You just need someone to believe in you,
and you need someone to show you, and guide you.
- Are you guys ready?
- [Boy] Yes.
- We built our own podcast studio,
editing suite,
duplication suite,
audio studio.
And my biggest pride
is our television studio,
where we can do any kind of television production.
- They're finding their voice
like they are finding themselves
and that's what it's about.
It's about finding your own person.
Like, you might not be the person
who likes video all the time,
or who likes audio,
but if doing a podcast help you realize
that you're passionate about a certain law,
or a certain thing,
then I'm so happy we're able to help you do that.
And we're still gonna help you reach that dream
because that's what it's all about.
- [Dr. DK] All right, 5, 4,
3, 2...
And they're listening and watching
to see if you're real,
because they've had so many fake people come in,
that act like they care,
that say they care, and they don't.
- [Dominique] My hope is that they see
the light in their future,
that they see the light in themselves.
I think it's so easy for people in life
and society to dim their light.
That they gain so much confidence
and strength, that that's not done.
And they don't allow anyone to dim their light
because they were taught
that they are important,
they are needed,
they are seen.
- CS Lewis said, that,
"There are three things
that you need to know about life;
that you exist,
you exist for a reason,
and you should be happy about it."
And when they're happy about it,
I'm happy about it.
So, it gives me joy.
- I take a shower, put on my clothes,
come straight here,
and I'm the first one here
before Dr. DK, Ms. Dominique, everybody.
I learned that I have talent
and I'm very smart.
- The best part about it is that
they will accept you like family.
Like when I first came here,
I didn't know anybody,
but they like accepted me with open arms.
Like everybody here is so nice,
and I love it here.
- When you look at the need,
it becomes a mission.
And if you don't love,
how can you say you care?
So, that's what we try to do here.